SubaDude is committed to helping people understand their vehicles and the role they play in the larger environment.

Recycling-

_If you service your vehicle yourself, and live in Larimer county, there’s a great facility off Taft south of Harmony that takes almost everything. In addition, many auto parts retailers can take your used motor oils and transmission/gear fluids; even some dealers might take it off your hands. Here are two helpful links for a more detailed search:

• http://search.earth911.com/?what=automotive
• http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/hhwcollect.htm

MPG-

_Knowing the rate of gasoline consumption helps in getting to know your subie.

• MPG education PDF

Oil and the Ecological Driver-

_The internal combustion engine was invented by Rudolf Diesel in 1893, and yes, it was a Diesel.  He designed it to be run by Vegetable Oil.  Many years and lobbyist dollars later we have a plethora of over-sized, single passenger vehicles, all running on the cheaply-made-yet-infinitely-valuable product of the refining process of a non-renewable resource, mostly stolen from the backyards of the poorest people on the planet.  Go figure?

_Dependence on oil for nearly everything we do has little benefit for most. Changing your automobile’s oil does. With proper upkeep of your machine and a little preventive maintenance, you can keep your vehicle from becoming scrap metal and waste.  More importantly, you can avoid buying new.

_The factory recommends changing your oil every 3,000 miles (7,500 miles for non-Colorado conditions), but I say 3,000 miles for conventional oil and 4,000-5,000 miles for full synthetic. The factory also recommends changing the gear and transmission oils every 30,000 miles (60,000 for non-Colorado conditions).  Quarterly oil changes and periodic checking of fluid will go a long way in the long run.

_As Colorado falls within the Factory’s definition of “severe driving conditions,” Subaru owners elsewhere might be on a different schedule. Here are some helpful links:

• http://www.cars101.com/subaru/subaru_maintenance.html
• https://www.subaru.com/my-subaru/index.html

Paperless Services-

_Cutting paper does not mean cutting jobs, it means investing in our children.

• http://www.bestdesigntuts.com/why-web-designers-freelancers-should-switch-to-online-invoicing/
• http://www.greeninvoice.org/en/green-calculator.html
• http://www.invoicera.com/

Ethanol-

_Commonly referred to as E85, the 85’s meaning is of percent (ethanol), and the remaining 15% is common gasoline. The octane rating of E85 is 95, which is significantly higher than the highest available in Colorado, which is 91.  Unmodified Subarus do not take E85, so don’t even try it!

_The good: Ethanol is made in the USA. It creates less carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) tailpipe emissions. Buying ethanol supports farmers.

_The bad: The animal feed created as a byproduct of ethanol production makes quite a bit of nitrogen runoff into waters eventually ending up in the Gulf of Mexico, adding to the “dead zone” from hypoxia. Ethanol creates more nitrogen oxide (an aide in ground-level ozone) tailpipe emissions. Buying ethanol supports ADM and Monsanto.

• http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_food.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_vs._fuel
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E85
• http://www.neare85.com/
• http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/products/pubs_hypox.html